Add Depth to Your Portraits
Matt offers up two ways to add some depth to a portrait: a targeted method using the Dodge and Burn tools, and an automated alternative using the High Pass and Surface Blur filters.
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Related Tags: dodge and burn, high pass filter, surface blur filter
Ella
June 1, 2010 at 4:38 pm
I am really learning things and enjoying++
Douglas
June 1, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Why did you change the video format? All this time you have been using Quicktime format and now you change to a real player format of MPEG-4. Now I have a library full of one one type and now you change it to something else. How about keeping it the same?
Doug
Rick LePage
June 1, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Doug – these files should open in QuickTime just fine. There’s no real difference between .mov and .mp4 as we’re encoding them – we’re trying to fix the issues that some people have been having with the videos.
Rick
Douglas
June 6, 2010 at 6:12 pm
The video works with the .mov format. Although it takes a little time to load. It can take up to 30 seconds to load and I use a 20mb download broadband connection. I can see why some people have the black screen problem. It’s just too slow to load. Whatever you used on the old website, the video loaded immediately and played perfectly. There is another problem that has been going on since the new website was put on line. The download link does not work all the time. It will look like it downloads, but it only gives us a partial file. I use IE8 and I have to click on the “Compatibility Mode” to get the download to do a 100% file transfer. I’ve learned to live with this quirk.
Doug
James
June 2, 2010 at 2:57 am
These videos are wonderful training aids.
You folks are doing a great job.
Charlotte
June 2, 2010 at 9:45 am
I love this tutorial. It answers my query of how to get the skin looking so good. thanks so much!
Dorrie
June 2, 2010 at 4:31 pm
The mp4 format does not play for me like it did when they were the Quick Time format. Why can’t you keep the same format we have been using for years. I read the above comments and really would appreciate not having the format changed. I hope you go back to Quick Time.
Johnny
June 2, 2010 at 5:17 pm
It worked ok for me. What browser are you using and what is your version of Quicktime? The new format is supported by Quicktime http://www.apple.com/quicktime/technologies/
Dorrie
June 2, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Johnny, I’m using Firefox. QT Version 7.6.5.
My problem is that when I click on the diamond in the middle of the video it starts like its going to play, however the screen just stays black and the browser indicates it is done, and it won’t load.
If I click on “Download this movie” it did download and I was able to play it. If I choose “Try opening in this window” then it plays. It’s just that there were more steps to take in order to get the movie to load and play and to save. I didn’t have this kind of problem before when they were Quick Time movies.
I guess I can live with it….I was just venting.
Rick LePage
June 3, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Dorrie,
I’d hate to make you “just live with it.” I can’t replicate the ‘black screen’ with Firefox and the current version of QuickTime on my PC, but I’ll play with it a bit more.
We’re probably going to move back to the way videos used to work – opening in a new window, instead of the black box inside the main window – due to a number of issues people are having. Moving from .mov to .mp4 was one fix that seemed to work for most people, and it works in the QuickTime Player, which was why we’re trying it.
Rick
Dorrie
June 4, 2010 at 10:02 am
Rick,
Thank you for being so understanding and willing to correct our problems. It must be frustrating for you when there are so many of us having different problems. My main concern is being able to download the video and as long as I can find a way to do that, then I’m okay with how I have to accomplish that. You’re are one awesome guy.:)
Ann
June 3, 2010 at 4:53 pm
The videos are great… including Learn Elements Today, etc. I have had no problems until today when I tried to open “Add Depth to Your Portraits”. Starts loading for a second, then stops and screen stays black.
Bayla
June 3, 2010 at 6:44 pm
I had problems with this video when I watched it direct from the site – it kept stopping and I lost the audio several times, kept on having to drag the slider back to rewatch. Never experienced this before with any other video tutorials. However once I’d dl it, had no problems watching it in QT.
Michele
June 4, 2010 at 5:13 pm
I also had trouble viewing the video. I needed to ‘open it in a new window’ in order to view it. I would rather you went back to the original method if possible. But I love the videos, so I will do what ever necessary to see them. Thanks
RALPH
June 4, 2010 at 7:42 pm
I have the black screen also and I find it very disappointing that I can no longer view the videos.
I have a whole library of them that I ofter refer to. Any suggestions?
Linda Ann
June 5, 2010 at 5:28 am
All I get is a black screen and it won’t play.
JoAnn
June 5, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Opening up the video is quite slow and many times it gets stuck with your new system. I see a lot of people are having trouble with the video. Quick time was easier and faster. Good luck with this problem.
Your videos really help me to learn.
Thanks
Jo Ann
Johnny
June 6, 2010 at 10:00 am
I had the same problem as the others. A black screen with no video. I’m running Vista 64 and have had no problems before. When I went to open in another window, the video played fine with no hesitation.
Salvatore
June 11, 2010 at 10:31 am
A wonderful tutorial!…..easy to understand which makes life more beautiful. I really loved this models body too!…..
Sandra
June 16, 2010 at 10:01 pm
The video played fine for me the first time it was posted. Now it plays jittery and pixellated. Was something done to the video to make it worse? I can play other videos fine.
bryan
June 20, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Atlanta Wedding Photography Really some great information Matt. Will be using this technique on my next portrait session.
George
September 27, 2010 at 4:26 pm
Fabulous technique!
It took Chris Orwig on lynda.com at least 5 times the amount of time to accomplish the same thing, using the dodge and burn tools, in his course on PS CS5.
Jean
April 20, 2011 at 5:11 pm
Great tutorial–Wonderful results.
Since I love portraiture I will probably use this technique often.
Thanks so much.
Alfred
October 20, 2011 at 3:24 pm
Hi, This is a simple way of exaggerting the effects that could take HOURS to do using other methods ( if I knew them) Matt is so warm and fuzzy and straight to the point while ushering folks through his videos, its a wonder they havent snatched him up in Hollywood ! Thanks again for a great wee show ben